“Shouldn’t be too hard.”
The Emperor said, looking at Ezekiel.
Crunch!
The crisp sound of the bitten apple quickly vanished, his voice laced with undeniable interest.
“I’ve handled missions far tougher than this.”
“Har.”
In the past, he had been thrust into missions of insane difficulty, with no real rewards to show for it. The one who doled out those missions was, of course, the Emperor.
The Emperor seemed to grasp that meaning instantly.
“So now you’re talking back, huh? Getting bold.”
The robe swayed slightly. He probably smiled.
“Anyway, your opponent still has four chances to attack left. So you’re gonna give it a go despite that?”
Ezekiel nodded immediately.
The very fact that he was contemplating whether to accept the mission felt eccentric. In the past, he had always been forced into missions, only to review the details later.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Maybe the answer pleased him.
The robe settled on a large rock, perching itself.
“Then let’s synchronize the detailed conditions from now on. More precisely, how you can sell the painting for the highest price.”
Ezekiel focused intently on the Emperor’s words.
A single drop of Sun Elixir made a colossal difference.
“1st Princess Ether is strong. I put a lot of effort into her. She was practically bathed in Sun Elixir as a child.”
How unfair is it that what he yearned for so desperately was mere bathwater to someone else?
“Ezekiel, there’s a concept called rivals in this world.”
“Yes.”
“Good matchups create valuable fights, leading to growth. Anyone’s growth is most pronounced when they have a rival.”
“That’s true.”
“But… Ether is too strong. There’s no rival.”
Suddenly, a chalice appeared out of thin air, shimmering with a familiar scent. It was… apple wine.
“I hope this duel turns out to be a good experience for the 1st Princess. The more beneficial, the higher the value of the painting.”
“I understand.”
If he won while fully completing the painting, he would earn at least a drop.
If it also benefited the 1st Princess, even more.
Ezekiel’s desires, naturally, extended beyond that.
The Emperor suddenly handed him a crystal.
“If you speak into this crystal, the words will magically display in the crystal on the opposite canyon. In other words, feel free to communicate until the duel ends.”
“Communication, huh…”
The Emperor used telekinesis to gather the princesses.
“I’ll handle the princesses. Any questions?”
Ezekiel thought.
Not only did he have to win, but he also had to paint, and act as a tutor to help Ether grow.
That’s the condition to gain the maximum amount of Sun Elixir.
However. Of course.
He didn’t feel that it was impossible.
“No questions. Just…”
The man, as usual, chewed on Sunweed.
“You’re going to need to prepare a lot of Sun Elixir.”
Cullinan Valley.
Huff…
Ether expelled thick cigarette smoke while gazing at the opposing canyon where her challenger stood.
Those following her gulped nervously.
No matter how far away, one thing was painfully clear. That side was completely obliterated.
“Scout Captain.”
Behind the 1st Princess, the scouting team maintained a distance and observed the battle. One careful member eventually spoke up.
“Indeed, the 1st Princess is strong.”
“Naturally.”
“How strong exactly is she?”
The scout captain hesitated for a moment in answering.
“How strong? That’s a tough question.”
“I can’t say for certain across the continent or the Demon Realm, but if you were to choose the top five strongest individuals in the Empire, the 1st Princess would definitely be on that list.”
“Wow!”
The scout team member nodded in amazement.
“The opponent in the opposite canyon must have been killed, right?”
“Not a chance.”
In truth, nothing in this world is ‘absolute.’
Yet, to the scouts, the 1st Princess was strong enough to merit the use of the word absolute. In their humble opinion, measuring Ether’s power was beyond their capabilities.
Meanwhile, 1st Princess Ether quietly furrowed her brow.
‘…A failure?’
She was certain. That guy was still breathing.
‘But he lacks any identity whatsoever.’
No matter how far the canyons were apart, Ether was confident in her ability to sense the opponent’s energy, albeit not in detail, at least in terms of intensity.
However, the opponent she faced was devoid of any identity.
No, to be precise, he had far too many identities.
She sensed the energy of the dead, and then in the next moment, there it was, alive and kicking, the intensity constantly switching.
‘Is he hiding something, or is this just how he is?’
If he was intentionally hiding it, it meant he was a powerful being, intriguing; if he just happened to be like that, it made him even more fascinating since she had never seen someone like him before.
Unconsciously, Ether bit down on her cigarette. The cigarette, unable to withstand her fierce jaw strength, broke in half.
“Oh no, I’ve bitten it again!”
“I’ll get you a new one right away!”
The attendant moved swiftly.
Biting down on a thick cigarette was an old habit of hers. She picked it up from someone she admired, and this habit stuck with her.
With a new cigarette in her mouth, she felt a strange mix of emotions.
Hmm…
Biting the cigarette was a habit that surfaced in exciting times.
‘Does this mean I’m looking forward to this duel?’
How peculiar.
Lately, she hadn’t had any matchups that could challenge her, leading to a decline in her competitive spirit, but now it was bubbling up.
Just then,
The crystal at her feet projected a message like a chalkboard.
[ 1st Princess, seems you’re not as great as expected. ]
[ Weren’t you wishing for an Elixir? ]
[ Looks like you might need to try a bit harder. ]
Ether couldn’t help but smirk.
It wasn’t because the provocation was laughable.
It was delightful that an opponent could casually talk after taking a staggering hit that could level the canyon.
The 1st Princess kicked the crystal, sending it soaring.
“Hey, you! It’s your turn. When are you attacking?”
[ I lost the need to after confirming your level. ]
[ Even if you take four more, you wouldn’t feel it. ]
“Oh really?”
A smile danced at the corners of Ether’s mouth.
“For someone with such arrogance, you’re not half bad.”
Ether certainly wasn’t a woman who took rudeness lightly. However, seeing her opponent’s nonchalance made her feel oddly pleased.
This was great. A fun duel was always welcomed.
“Listen, you. Let’s do this.”
[ Go ahead. ]
“Only defend. I’ll shoot four arrows in quick succession.”
Ether paused for a moment, taking a breath to calm her excitement. Her face was heating up, and her mouth felt sticky.
“If you can endure, I’ll surrender right then and there.”
[ Sounds easy enough. Let’s go with that. ]
Ether raised her arms towards the sky.
In her gently descending hands was a powerful bow made of energy, the air thick with tension.
“You, for being a mere fool, sure know how to excite me. Consider it an honor because nothing from my recent expeditions has come close.”
Ether eagerly placed an arrow on the bowstring.
It was undeniably strange.
This was her first time facing an opponent, and she didn’t even know their name or appearance. Yet the guy seemed to instinctively know how to please her.
[ You heat up too easily. Easy women aren’t my type. ]
“Easy women?”
FOOM!
At once, a noise tore through the air. The light arrow, released from the bow, charged toward Dominan Valley.
BOOM!
The light arrow struck the canyon and shattered into countless particles, before another series of explosions erupted without an end.
Kaboom! KABOOM! KABOOM!
Ether quietly dusted her hands off.
“Such arrogance. I am no one to be trifled with.”
Just as she was about to turn without hesitation.
[ Now three chances left? ]
“…?”
[ You’re still pretty relaxed. ]
“Huh?”
Ether raised her brows, glancing at the crystal.
That was rather unexpected.
The second shot she fired was designed to cause numerous minor explosions. While the power was staggering, the intent was to instill fear in her opponent.
Yet he was unfazed.
…In fact, wasn’t he waiting for her next strike?
“How fascinating.”
Ether tightened her grip on the bow.
Her opponent’s energy was still unpredictably shifting, but the intensity had weakened compared to before. It meant he had taken a hit.
“It seems you can change your energy’s intensity, but had you feigned death, you might have salvaged your life.”
[ You should’ve given it your all just now. ]
[ You’ll regret taking it easy. ]
“It seems you’re no mere fool. You’ve leveled up from toy status.”
Something blossomed inside Ether.
‘It’s been so long since I felt this. This must be….’
The thrill of competition.
The thrill of competition is typically felt when one cannot guarantee victory. Could it be that Ether wasn’t confident about winning this duel?
‘That can’t be right.’
She hadn’t considered losing at all.
‘I am who I am. The 1st Princess. Ether.’
With those thoughts, Ether once again loosed the light arrow she forged with energy. This time, she shot two simultaneously.
PING!
But strangely, their trajectories shifted, and the light arrows soared high into the sky instead of destructively striking the canyon.
Ether’s brows twitched sharply.
‘Did she let them slip away?’
She lost two of her light arrows?
She infused an enormous amount of energy into them. Had there been even a slight error in the barrier, the entire canyon would have been pierced, truly remarkable skill was at work.
Knowing she was the source of the light arrows, Ether understood better than anyone just how formidable her opponent was.
“You, toy, exceed what I had anticipated.”
Ether’s energy surged.
[ You didn’t give your all again, did you? Pathetic. ]
“Alright. I’ll show you my full power as you wish.”
In an instant, Ether’s bow expanded, absorbing a tremendous amount of energy. It transformed into a colossal ballista.
Ether readied an arrow the size of three carriages.
“Make sure to survive. The moment the duel ends, I’ll personally come check your face.”
Dominan Valley.
No, it could no longer be called a canyon.
The ruins of Dominan.
[ Yes. As you wish, I shall show you my full power. ]
“…”
Ezekiel stacked five Sunweed leaves before biting down.
‘This is insane; she’s gotten so much stronger.’
Because of Ether’s overwhelming strength, exhaustion weighed heavily on him. Had he not had the Sunweed, he would have already fainted.
[ You better survive. I’ll personally check your face the moment the duel ends. ]
…Does this mean he now needs to drink Sun Elixir just to break even?
